This is a list of notable Cuban Americans , including immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.
Mary Joe Fernández
Ryan Lochte
Dara Torres
Aric Almirola , current NASCAR driver, father born in Cuba[1]
Kiko Alonso , current NFL player for the Miami Dolphins , father is Cuban-born[2]
Osvaldo Alonso , midfielder for Minnesota United soccer team, Cuban-born[3]
Carlos Alvarez , former college football player for the University of Florida, known as "The Cuban Comet", Cuban-born[4]
Robert Andino , infielder for the Baltimore Orioles , Cuban-born[5]
Gilbert Arenas , professional basketball player with the Washington Wizards , great-grandfather is Cuban-born[6]
Javier Arenas , cornerback and punt returner for the Arizona Cardinals
J. P. Arencibia , current catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays , parents are Cuban-born[7]
Anthony Leon former NBA ALL-Star center
René Arocha , former MLB pitcher, Cuban-born[8]
Rolando Arrojo , former MLB pitcher, Cuban-born[9]
Bronson Arroyo , starting pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks and member of World Champion 2004 Boston Red Sox ; Cuban father[10]
Alex Avila , current catcher for the Detroit Tigers , father is Cuban-born[11]
Danys Báez , relief pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies , Cuban-born[12]
Zach Banks , racing driver, mother is Cuban-born[13]
Yan Barthelemí , Cuban-born professional boxer[14]
Steve Bellán , former baseball player, Cuban-born[15]
Yuniesky Betancourt , former MLB pitcher, Cuban-born[16]
Bert Campaneris , former MLB All-Star shortstop, Cuban-born[17]
Bárbaro Cañizares , current first baseman, Cuban-born[18]
José Canseco , former MLB All-Star outfielder and DH; author (Juiced ); reality show contestant (The Surreal Life ), Cuban-born[19]
Ozzie Canseco , former MLB outfielder, Cuban-born[20]
José Raúl Capablanca , world chess champion from 1921 to 1927
Rene Capo , former Olympic judoka
José Cardenal , former MLB outfielder and coach, Cuban-born[21]
John Carlos , Olympic track and field medalist, professional football player, founding member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights; Cuban mother[22]
Joel Casamayor , Cuban professional boxer
Nick Castellanos , Detroit Tigers
Elieser Castillo , Cuban professional boxer
Eliseo Castillo , Cuban professional boxer
Yoenis Céspedes , outfielder with the New York Mets , Cuban-born[23]
Aroldis Chapman , relief pitcher for the New York Yankees , Cuban-born[24]
Vinnie Chulk , relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants
José Contreras , current MLB free agent pitcher, Cuban-born[25]
Mike Cuellar , former MLB All-Star pitcher, Cuban-born[26]
Orestes Destrade , former MLB first baseman and current broadcaster, Cuban-born[27]
Eric Eichmann , former US National Team and American professional soccer player; Cuban mother
Yunel Escobar , current shortstop for the Los Angeles Angels , Cuban-born[28]
Alex Fernandez , former pitcher for the Florida Marlins
Mary Joe Fernández , tennis player
Osvaldo Fernández , former MLB pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Cuban-born[29]
José Fernandez , former MLB pitcher for the Miami Marlins, Cuban-born[30]
Tony Fossas , former MLB relief pitcher, Cuban-born[31]
Ryan Freel , former MLB utility player
Tito Fuentes , former MLB second baseman, Cuban-born[32]
Yuriorkis Gamboa , "El Ciclón de Guantanamo", professional boxer
Danny Garcia , former MLB outfielder, Kansas City Royals
Preston Gómez , former MLB infielder and manager, Cuban-born[33]
Anthony Gonzalez , WR Atlanta Falcons National Football League
Gio González , current MLB pitcher for the Washington Nationals
Joaquin Gonzalez , offensive line, Indianapolis Colts , National Football League
Luis Gonzalez , former outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks
Yasmani Grandal , current catcher for the Chicago White Sox , Cuban-born[34]
Sammy Guevara , professional wrestler
Henry Gutierrez , former US National Team and American professional soccer player
Ricky Gutiérrez , former shortstop
Annia Hatch , originally Annia Portuondo; Cuban-American gymnast , former member of Cuban and U.S. National gymnastics teams; 1993 World Gymnastics Championships and 1995 Pan American Games medal winner (representing Cuba); 2004 Olympics medal winner (representing USA); U.S. Classic winner
Enrique Hernández , infielder/outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers ; Cuban mother
Evelio Hernández , starting pitcher for the Washington Senators , Cuban-born[35]
James "Chico" Hernandez , of Wheaties fame; US Sombo Wrestling Champion; World Cup silver; three-time British silver medalist[36]
Liván Hernández , former MLB pitcher, Cuban-born[37]
Orlando Hernández , "El Dueque" (The Duke) half-brother of Liván, former MLB player, Cuban-born[38]
Eric Hosmer , first baseman for the Kansas City Royals
Raúl Ibañez , left fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
José Iglesias , current MLB shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, Cuban-born[39]
Jon Jay , outfielder for the Chicago Cubs [ citation needed ]
Shiloh Keo , football safety; Cuban mother.
Danell Leyva , Olympic gymnast
Ryan Lochte , gold medal Olympic swimmer
Doug Logan , chief executive officer of USA Track & Field, the national governing body for track and field, long-distance running, and race walking
Neil Lomax , former quarterback for the St. Louis Cardinals
Hector Lombard , mixed martial artist; Judo competitor at 2000 Sydney Olympics
Brook Lopez , current NBA player for the Milwaukee Bucks ;[40] Cuban father
Mickey Lopez , former second baseman
Robin Lopez , current NBA player for the Milwaukee Bucks ;[40] Cuban father
Frank Martin , current head men's basketball coach at South Carolina
J. D. Martinez , current MLB player
Jorge Masvidal , mixed martial artist
Christina McHale , professional women's tennis player
Minnie Miñoso , former MLB All-Star outfielder, Cuban-born[41]
Frank Mir , mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion
Al Montoya , current goalkeeper for the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL
Pablo Morales , Olympic swimmer
Kendrys Morales , current first baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays , Cuban-born[42]
Alex Ochoa , former MLB outfielder and current first base coach in the Boston Red Sox organization
Sergio Oliva , former 3-time Mr. Olympia; only bodybuilder to have ever beaten Arnold Schwarzenegger in a Mr. Olympia competition
Tony Oliva , former MLB All-Star outfielder, Cuban-born[43]
Rey Ordóñez , former shortstop, New York Mets, Cuban-born[44]
Henry Owens , former relief pitcher for the Florida Marlins
Ferdie Pacheco , physician for Muhammad Ali , boxing commentator
Orlando Palmeiro , former MLB outfielder and pinch-hitter
Rafael Palmeiro , former MLB All-Star first baseman and member of the 3,000 Hit and 500 Home Run clubs, Cuban-born[45]
Camilo Pascual , former MLB pitcher, Cuban-born[46]
Brayan Peña , current MLB catcher, Cuban-born[47]
Eduardo Pérez , former MLB first baseman and current bench coach of the Houston Astros
Tony Pérez , MLB Hall of Fame first baseman and third baseman, Cuban-born[48]
Jorge Posada , catcher for the New York Yankees ; Cuban father
Yasiel Puig , MLB outfielder, Cuban-born[49]
Alexei Ramírez , current shortstop for the Chicago White Sox , Cuban-born[50]
Nap Reyes , former MLB infielder, Cuban-born[51]
Guillermo Rigondeaux , Cuban professional boxer
Amy Rodriguez , frontline for U.S. women's national soccer team
Jennifer Rodriguez , Olympic medal-winning speed skater
Sean Rodriguez , second baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays
Danny Valencia
Cookie Rojas , former MLB infielder and manager, Cuban-born[52]
Yoel Romero , mixed martial artist
Cody Runnels , professional wrestler known by his ring names Cody Rhodes and Stardust; Cuban maternal grandfather
Alberto Salazar , runner, marathon winner, and coach until he was banned
Alex Sánchez , former outfielder, Cuban-born[53]
David Segui , former MLB first baseman
Havana Solaun , former member of the U.S. women's national under-17 soccer team who now represents Jamaica ; Cuban paternal grandparents
Odlanier Solís , Cuban professional boxer
Danny Tartabull , former MLB All-Star outfielder
Tony Taylor , former MLB infielder, Cuban-born[54]
Luis Tiant , former MLB All-Star pitcher, Cuban-born[55]
Dara Torres , Olympic gold-medalist swimmer (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2008)
Danny Valencia , American-Israeli MLB and Team Israel third baseman
Priscilla Zuniga , professional wrestler known by her ring names Angel Rose and Diamante
Carlos Gutierrez
Raúl Alarcón , president and CEO of the Spanish Broadcasting System
Alfredo Alonso , SVP of Clear Channel Radio
Ralph Alvarez ,[56] former president and COO of McDonald's
Bacardi family ,[57] owners of Bacardi Rums , Grey Goose , Martini & Rossi and Dewar's
Mario Baeza , Cuban-American corporate lawyer, investment and merchant banker, entrepreneur, musician/composer and philanthropist
Charles "Bebe" Rebozo , banker, close confidant of President Richard Nixon ; key Watergate scandal figure
Jorge Mas Canosa , founder and CEO of MasTec , political activist, former head of Cuban-American National Foundation
Paul L. Cejas , CEO of PLC Investments, Inc.
Mauricio Claver-Carone , lawyer and president of the Inter-American Development Bank
Carlos de la Cruz , Cuban-born American businessman, the chairman of CC1 Companies, Inc. which include Coca-Cola Puerto Rico Bottlers, CC1 Beer Distributors, Inc., Coca-Cola Bottlers Trinidad & Tobago, and Florida Caribbean Distillers, LLC. The companies together employ 2,500 people and have annual sales of $1 billion
Ralph de la Vega , former president and CEO of AT&T Mobility
Alfonso Fanjul Sr. (1909–1980), Cuban-born American sugar baron[58]
Alfonso Fanjul Jr. ,[59] sugar baron
Jose Fanjul ,[59] sugar baron
Joe Fernandez , entrepreneur, founder of Klout
Raul J. Fernandez , co-owner of the NBA Washington Wizards , NHL Washington Capitals and WNBA Washington Mystics
Jorge Figueredo ,[60] Senior Vice President of Dow Jones
Ella Fontanals-Cisneros , Cuban-born art collector and the founder and president of the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation
Roberto C. Goizueta ,[61] former CEO of the Coca-Cola Company
Sara Del Carmen Jofre González (1935-2008), President and CEO of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (1996–2008)[62]
Nelson Gonzalez ,[63] co-founder of Alienware
Efraim Grinberg , CEO of Movado watches
Gedalio Grinberg , founder and former CEO of Movado watches
Carlos Gutierrez ,[64] former CEO of Kellogg Company
Armando Gutierrez , Cuban-born American banker, political consultant, and entrepreneur
Bobby Maduro , baseball entrepreneur; owner of Havana Sugar Kings
Alex Meruelo , CEO of the Muruelo Group
Alvaro de Molina ,[65] Chief Financial Officer of Bank of America Corporation
Antonio Luis Navarro , former vice president of W. R. Grace and Company
Jesús Permuy , architect, urban planner, and human rights advocate
Joe Quesada ,[66] CCO of Marvel Entertainment ; former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics
George Reyes ,[67] Chief Financial Officer of Google
Marcos A. Rodriguez , entrepreneur, broadcaster, movie producer
Felix Sabates , entrepreneur, philanthropist, holds ownership in NASCAR , Charlotte Bobcats
Ralph Sanchez , autoracing promoter, developer, responsible for Grand Prix of Miami and Homestead-Miami Speedway
Alberto Vilar , a.k.a. Albert Vilar, American former investment manager who became particularly known for donating tens of millions as a patron of opera
Alejandro Anreus , art historian and curator, William Paterson University
Ruth Behar , anthropologist, poet, and filmmaker; first Latina recipient of a MacArthur award, University of Michigan
George J. Borjas , Robert W. Scrivner Professor of Economics and Social Policy, Harvard University
Ana Mari Cauce , President of the University of Washington , Seattle
Frederick A. de Armas , Andrew W. Mellon Distinguished Service Professor in Romance Languages and Literatures and Comparative Literature University of Chicago
Alejandro de la Fuente , Robert Woods Professor of Latin American History and Economics, Harvard University
Miguel A. De La Torre , prolific author on Hispanic religiosity, Iliff School of Theology
Jorge I. Dominguez , Antonio Madero Professor of Mexican and Latin American Politics and Economics, former chairman of the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, Harvard University
Roberto González Echevarría , Sterling Professor of Hispanic and Comparative Literature, Yale University
Carlos M. N. Eire , T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University; his memoir of the Cuban Revolution, Waiting for Snow in Havana (Free Press, 2003), won the National Book Award for non-fiction
Maria Cristina Garcia , Howard A. Newman Professor of American Studies at Cornell University ; historian of immigration
Jorge J. E. Gracia , Samuel P. Capen Chair in Philosophy, University at Buffalo
Robert Lima , Knight Commander, Order of Queen Isabel of Spain; academician ANLE; Corr. Member RAE; Emeritus Professor and Emeritus Fellow, IAH (Penn State University)
Modesto A. Maidique , former president of Florida International University
Elsa A. Murano , former president of Texas A&M University , former vice chancellor of Agriculture & Life Sciences of Texas A&M University , current director of the Norman E. Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture of Texas A&M University
Eduardo J. Padrón , president of Miami Dade College , immediate past chair of the board of directors of the American Council on Education (ACE)
Luis G Pedraja , president of Quinsigamond Community College , educator, philosopher and theologian
Gustavo Pérez Firmat , David Feinson Professor in the Humanities, Columbia University
Alejandro Portes , Professor of Sociology, director of the Center for Migration and Development, Princeton University
Gregory Rabassa , literary translator and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Languages and Literatures at Queens College, City University of New York and in the Ph.D. Program in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literatures of the Graduate School and University Center of the CUNY Graduate Center
Carmen Reinhart , Minos A. Zombanakis Professor of the International Financial System, Harvard Kennedy School
Teofilo Ruiz , Distinguished Professor of History, UCLA and recipient of the National Humanities Medal[68] at the White House
Rubén G. Rumbaut , Professor of Sociology, University of California, Irvine
Ernest Sosa , Board of Governors Professor of Philosophy, Rutgers University
Armando Vilaseca , commissioner of the Vermont Department of Education
Bobby Cannavale
Rosario Dawson
Bianca Del Rio
Cameron Diaz
Andy García
Joanna Garcia
Jorge Garcia
Oscar Isaac
Julio Oscar Mechoso
Eva Mendes
Actors
Ana de Armas , Cuban-born
Anabelle Acosta , Cuban-born American actress (Ballers and Quantico )
Laz Alonso , actor
Tyler Alvarez , actor (Every Witch Way , American Vandal )
Odette Annable , actress (Cloverfield ); Cuban mother
Desi Arnaz , actor and musician (I Love Lucy )
Desi Arnaz Jr. , actor and musician
Lucie Arnaz , actress and singer
Nelson Ascencio , comedian (MADtv )
Omar Avila , actor
Ariana Barouk , TV host, actress, model, and singer; represented Cuba in the seventh edition of the environmentally oriented Miss Earth, international beauty pageant
Steven Bauer , actor (Scarface , ¿Qué Pasa, USA? , credited as Rocky Echevarría)
Jason Canela , actor; brother of Jencarlos Canela
Maria Canals-Barrera , voice actress
Camilla Cabello , singer and composer
Isabella Castillo , actress and singer
Jencarlos Canela , actor (Mas sabe el diablo )
Bobby Cannavale , actor (Third Watch , Will & Grace ), Cuban mother
Irene Cara , actress (Flashdance )
Nestor Carbonell , actor (Suddenly Susan , Lost , The Dark Knight , The Lost City )[69]
Matt Cedeño , actor and model
Eddie Cibrian , actor (Vanished , Invasion )
Valerie Cruz , actress (Nip/Tuck , The Dresden Files )
Dar Dash , actor, voice actor, Cuban mother
Sammy Davis Jr. , actor, singer, dancer; mother was of mostly Cuban descent, though often reported as Puerto Rican
Rosario Dawson , American actress (Rent , Kids ), mother of Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban descent[70]
Anthony De La Torre , actor
Kamar de los Reyes , soap opera actor (One Life to Live )
Bianca Del Rio , comedian, actor, drag performer (Hurricane Bianca )[71]
Cameron Diaz , actress (father was of Cuban descent)
Guillermo Díaz , actor (films Half Baked , Party Girl )
Joey Diaz , actor and comedian
Emiliano Díez , actor (the George Lopez TV series)
Majandra Delfino , actress (Roswell )
Raúl Esparza , actor
Gloria Estefan , singer and composer
Lola Falana , actress and singer to an Afro-Cuban father
Mel Ferrer , actor
Chrissie Fit , actor
Amber Frank , actor (The Haunted Hathaways , Spirit Riding Free )
Daisy Fuentes , model and television personality (MTV's House of Style )
David Fumero , soap opera actor (One Life to Live )
Gene Gabriel , actor (Numb3rs , Law & Order: Criminal Intent )
David Gallagher , actor, 7th Heaven , Cuban mother[72]
Mo Gallini , actor (2 Fast 2 Furious )
Melissa Fumero , television actress, Brooklyn Nine-Nine [73]
Robert Gant , actor (Queer as Folk )
Andy García , Academy Award -nominated actor (The Godfather Part III , Ocean's Eleven , Ocean's Twelve , The Lost City )
Joanna García , film and television actress (Reba )[74]
Jorge Garcia , actor (Lost )
Jsu Garcia , actor
Jessica Marie Garcia , American actress of Cuban and Mexican descent (The Middle , Liv and Maddie , On My Block ).
Carlos Gómez , actor
Marga Gomez , comedian/playwright
Adam Irigoyen , actor (Shake It Up )
Oscar Isaac , actor (Inside Llewyn Davis , Star Wars: The Force Awakens )[75]
Blake Jenner , American actor and singer; mother is Cuban[76]
David Lago , actor
Stefania LaVie Owen (born 1997), American actress to a Cuban mother (Running Wilde , The Carrie Diaries , Sweet Tooth )[77]
Paul Le Mat , American actor of partial Cuban descent
William Levy , actor
Selenis Leyva (born 1972), American actress of Cuban and Dominican descent (Orange Is the New Black , Diary of a Future President ).[78]
Suki Lopez (1990-), actress, dancer, and graphic designer
Josie Loren , actress
Faizon Love , actor, born Langston Faizon Santisima
Alicia Machado , actress, Miss Universe 1996
Natalie Martinez , actress (Sons of Tucson )
Ana Margarita Martínez-Casado , actress (El Super , ¿Qué Pasa, USA? )
Julio Oscar Mechoso , actor[79]
Eva Mendes , actress (Hitch , 2 Fast 2 Furious )
Olga Merediz , actress and singer
Alano Miller , actor (Jane the Virgin , Underground , and Loving )
Christina Milian , singer and actress (Be Cool )
Natalie Morales actress (The Middleman ).
Louisa Moritz , Cuban-American actress, real estate holder and former lawyer
Enrique Murciano , actor (Without a Trace )
Carlos Navarro , American actor and radio personality
Oscar Nuñez , actor (The Office )
Luis Oquendo , actor (film, Guaguasi , ¿Qué Pasa, USA? )
Elizabeth Peña , actress (Rush Hour )
Danny Pino , actor (Cold Case )
Tony Plana , actor (Ugly Betty )
Carlos Ponce , actor and singer; born in Puerto Rico to Cuban immigrants
J. R. Ramirez , Cuban-born American actor (Manifest )
Antonia Rey (1926–2019), Cuban-born American actress
Armando Riesco , actor (film Garden State )
Adam Rodríguez , actor (CSI: Miami ), of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent
Génesis Rodríguez , actress (Dona Barbara , Dame Chocolate and Prisionera )
Mel Rodriguez , actor (Getting On , The Last Man on Earth , On Becoming a God in Central Florida )
Cesar Romero , actor (The Joker on Batman (1960s TV series), Ocean's 11 , Week-End in Havana )
Mercedes Ruehl , Academy Award -winning (The Fisher King ) and Tony Award -winning actress, mother is of part Cuban descent
Caitlin Sanchez , actress (Dora the Explorer )
Marco Sanchez , actor
Saundra Santiago , actress (Miami Vice , The Sopranos )
Tessie Santiago , actress (Queen of Swords , Good Morning, Miami )
Bianca A. Santos , actress (The Fosters )
Cristina Saralegui , Hispanic talk show host
Jamie-Lynn Sigler , actress (The Sopranos ), mother is of Cuban descent
Charise Castro Smith , actor
Georg Stanford Brown , actor (Roots )
Lela Star , pornographic actress
Jeremy Suarez (1990) actor, film producer and director (The Bernie Mac Show )
Bella Thorne , actress Shake It Up ; father was of Cuban descent[80]
Oscar Torre , actor and director (Hangover III , Cane , Ladrón que roba a ladrón )
Gina Torres , actress (The Matrix sequels , Firefly and Serenity )
Yul Vazquez , Cuban-born American actor and musician
Bob Vila , This Old House host
Jordi Vilasuso , actor (Guiding Light )
Cartoonists and animators
Antonio Prohías , creator of Mad Magazine ' s Spy vs Spy series
Joe Quesada , comic book editor, writer producer and artist
Michael Peraza , American animator, art director, conceptual artist and historian of animation, who has worked for The Walt Disney Company, Fox Features, and Warner Brothers. His parents were of Cuban origin.
Directors, screenwriters and producers
Ozzie Alfonso , TV director, writer, producer; directed Sesame Street in the 1970s; senior producer, writer, and director of 3-2-1 Contact in the 1980s; freelanced for many clients; adjunct college professor at St. John's University
Elisa Marina Alvarado , American director of Mexican and Cuban descent
Rafael Casal (born 1985), American writer, actor, producer, and showrunner. He is of Irish, Spanish, and Cuban descent.[81]
Migdia Chinea , film director, writer, producer;(When it rains... , The Incredible Hulk )
Manny Coto , executive producer (24 ), writer (24 , Star Trek: Enterprise )
René Echevarria , writer (Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Medium ), co-creator of The 4400
Andy García , director (Lost City )
Dany Garcia , film producer
Silvio Horta , creator and writer (Ugly Betty ), writer (Urban Legends , Jake 2.0 )
Leon Ichaso , director/screenwriter (El Super ), director (Ali: An American Hero , Crossover Dreams , Piñero , El Cantante )
Valentina L. Garza , writer and producer for The Simpsons
Joe Menendez , TV and film director (Ladrón que roba a ladrón , From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series , 12 Monkeys , Queen of the South )
Roberto Orci , executive producer (Star Trek , The Proposal ) and writer (Transformers , Eagle Eye , Star Trek )
George A. Romero , American film director , screenwriter and editor (Night of the Living Dead , Dawn of the Dead ), creator of the Living Dead film series; son of a Cuban -born father of Castilian Spanish parentage[82] and a Lithuanian American mother
Eduardo Sánchez , Cuban-born American director (The Blair Witch Project )
Amy Serrano , director, cimematographer, and writer (The Sugar Babies ), producer of documentary films, poet
Musicians
Composers and/or bandleaders
Producers
Desmond Child , American musician, songwriter, and producer; mother is Cuban songwriter Elena Casals[85]
Scott Herren , music producer ; father is Catalan and mother is of Irish and Cuban descent
Ray Martinez , American musician, music producer, songwriter, artist, disco music icon; Cuban American; Cuban mother and Puerto Rican father
Rudy Pérez , Cuban composer and music producer[86]
Tonedeff , American rapper, producer, and singer-songwriter; Cuban mother and Colombian father
Musicians and singers by genre
Rock
Ariel Aparicio , rock musician
Juan Croucier , rock bassist (Ratt , Dokken , Quiet Riot )
Frank Ferrer , American rock drummer and session musician (Guns N' Roses )
Johnny Goudie , rock musician
Al Jourgensen , frontman of Ministry ; born in La Habana, Cuba, to Cuban and Norwegian parents
Nil Lara , rock musician
Dave Lombardo , drummer of Slayer
Courtney Love , actress and frontwoman of rock band Hole ; great-grandmother was Cuban immigrant[87] Courtney Love
Rudy Sarzo , rock bassist (Quiet Riot , Ozzy Osbourne , Whitesnake , Manic Eden , Dio )
Tico Torres , drummer of Bon Jovi , singer
Fernando Perdomo , guitarist featured in Echo In The Canyon
Rap and hip-hop
B Real , member of rap group Cypress Hill ; born Louis Freese; father is Mexican, mother is Cuban
Mellow Man Ace , "godfather of Latin hip hop"; born Ulpiano Sergio Reyes; Afro-Cuban
Olivia , born Olivia Longott; rapper; Cuban, Indian and Jamaican[88]
P-Star , rapper, actress; born Priscilla Star Diaz
Pitbull , Cuban American ; born in Miami, Florida
Sen Dog , Cuban rapper, member of Cypress Hill
Fat Joe , American rapper; parents of Puerto rican and Cuban descent.
Kat Dahlia , rapper; Cuban and Lebanese
Cuban Link , Cuban rapper, original member of Terror Squad
Stitches , rapper; Cuban and Greek
Pouya , rapper; Cuban and Iranian
Jorge Hidalgo - Hip Hop
Percussionists
Francisco Aguabella , Afro-Cuban master percussionist
Horacio Hernandez ("El Negro"), Grammy-winning drummer and percussionist
Chano Pozo , Afro-Cuban, Latin Jazz percussionist, conga player
Walfredo Reyes Jr. , percussionist and drum set player; born in Havana to a historically musical Cuban family; former member of Santana ; current member of Chicago ; expert in jazz , Latin , world music , world fusion , Afro-Cuban , and rock
Classical
Manuel Barrueco , classical guitarist
Jorge Bolet , classical concert pianist specializing in Liszt
Andrés Cárdenes , violinist
José Curbelo (1917–2012), Cuban-born American pianist and manager
Horacio Gutiérrez , prize-winning classical concert pianist
Zenaida Manfugas , concert pianist[89]
Joanna Simon , mezzo-soprano; sister of Carly Simon
René Touzet , composer, pianist
Aurelio de la Vega , composer, music professor
Yalil Guerra , composer, guitarist
Tania León , composer, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Music (2021)
Marta Pérez , mezzo-soprano
Elizabeth Caballero , lyric soprano
Jazz
Mario Bauza , trumpeter, saxophonist, composer, arranger, bandleader and Afro-Cuban Jazz pioneer
Paquito D'Rivera , Grammy-winning saxophonist
Machito , jazz singer and bandleader
Fats Navarro (1923–1950), American jazz trumpet player; a pioneer of the bebop style of jazz improvisation in the 1940s; of Cuban-Black-Chinese descent[90]
Chico O'Farrill , jazz trumpeter; composer, arranger
Arturo Sandoval , jazz trumpeter and pianist; composer
Mongo Santamaría , Latin jazz musician Grammy winner
Bebo Valdés , musician, composer
Pop, R&B, Folk, country and other music genre
Albita , Grammy -winning singer
Giselle Bellas , singer-songwriter
Angela Bofill , American R&B and jazz singer and songwriter of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent
Camila Cabello , singer, born in Havana, Cuba
Nini Camps , Cuban-American folk rock singer-songwriter
Irene Cara , Oscar and Grammy-winning singer (Flashdance ), actress (Fame ); born in the Bronx, New York; mother was American of Cuban descent
Willy Chirino , singer
Sabrina Claudio , singer
Erick Brian Colon , born in Havana, Cuba; member of CNCO
Celia Cruz , multiple Grammy -winning singer
The DeCastro Sisters , singing group
Addys D'Mercedes , singer
Emily Estefan , singer-songwriter, musician
Lola Falana , singer, actress and dancer
Olga Guillot , singer
Arawak Jah , international Cuban reggae star, member and founder of the reggae group Arawak Jah in Orlando, Florida
Lauren Jauregui , Cuban-American singer, member of Fifth Harmony
Roberto Ledesma , singer
Lissette , singer, actress; wife of Willy Chirino ; daughter of Olga y Tony
La Lupe , singer and gay icon
Raúl Malo , lead singer of American country music band The Mavericks
Martika , Grammy-nominated singer/actress (film Annie ; television series Kids Incorporated )
AJ McLean , member of the Backstreet Boys ; of Cuban and German ancestry on his mother's side
Syesha Mercado , singer
Roger Miret , singer for Agnostic Front
Jorge Moreno , Grammy award-winning singer, writer and TV producer
JD Natasha , Latin pop musician
Nayer , American singer of Cuban parents
Ashley Ruiz , singer; former member of Boy Band Menudo . He is part Spaniard, Cuban and Irish.
Rey Ruiz , singer
Jon Secada , two-time Grammy-winning singer
Ponciano Seoane , pop singer and contestant from NBC 's The Voice season 11
Carly Simon , singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author; mother, Andrea Louise Simon , was of German , French , and Afro-Cuban descent[91]
Malu Trevejo , singer, Instagram star
Mayra Verónica , singer, model, television personality
Voltaire , dark cabaret musician; born Aurelio Voltaire Hernández
Reality television contestants
Jose "Pepi" Diaz , contestant on season 5 of The Apprentice
Alexia Echevarria , cast member on The Real Housewives Of Miami
Marlon Fernández , winner of Objetivo Fama (third season)
Janette Manrara , finalist, So You Think You Can Dance , Season 5
Jeanine Mason , winner of Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance and actress
Ashley Massaro , Survivor: China contestant, WWE wrestler, Playboy model
Syesha Mercado , American Idol contestant
Chris Núñez , artist and reality television personality (Miami Ink )
Melissa Padrón , featured on The Real World: Miami
Veronica Portillo , Playboy model and Road Rules contestant
Peter Weber , featured as The Bachelor and as a contestant on The Bachelorette
Pedro Zamora , AIDS activist, featured on The Real World: San Francisco
Writers
Alex Abella , mystery/crime novelist, non-fiction writer, and journalist
Mercedes de Acosta , poet, playwright
Reynaldo Arenas , poet, author
Joaquín Badajoz , poet, author, essayist, member of the North American Academy of the Spanish Language[92]
Richard Blanco , Spanish-born poet
Rafael Campo , Cuban-born American poet
Daína Chaviano , novelist, poet, and award-winning novelist of Azorín Prize for Best Novel (Spain), among other international awards.
Nilo Cruz , playwright, first Latino to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Silvia Curbelo , poet
Carmen Agra Deedy , children's books author
Carlos Eire , writer, won the 2003 National Book Award in Nonfiction
Frank Fernández , anarchist, author of exile-related themes
Roberto G. Fernández , novelist
María Irene Fornés , playwright
Paula Fox , author, winner of Hans Christian Andersen Medal , biological grandmother of musician Courtney Love
Cristina García , novelist
Carolina Garcia-Aguilera , mystery novelist and descendant of Cuban independence patriot Francisco Vicente Aguilera [93]
Lucia M. Gonzalez , children's writer
Jorge Enrique González Pacheco www.jorgeenrique.net , poet, cultural entrepreneur, founder of the Seattle Latino Film Festival, a 501(c)(3) non profit organization
Lillian Guerra , Professor of History at University of Florida and widely published researcher and author
Oscar Hijuelos , first Hispanic to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction
Robert Lima , author of twenty-seven books, poet, literary critic, biographer, editor, translator, bibliographer
Rosa Lowinger , author of Tropicana Nights: the Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub
Ana Menéndez , author (books In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd and Loving Che )
Orlando Ricardo Menes , poet, short story writer, translator, anthologist
Anaïs Nin , author[94]
Achy Obejas , novelist
Ricardo Pau-Llosa , poet, art critic[95]
Gustavo Pérez Firmat , poet, writer, and scholar
Carlos Pintado , author, playwright and award-winning poet of Sant Jordi International Prize for Poetry
Jorge Reyes , memoirist, short-story writer, poet, children's books
Enrique Ros , writer, scholar, activist, and father of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Antonio Sacre , children's books, playwright
Cecilia Samartin , novelist (books Broken Paradise , Tarnished Beauty , Vigil )[96]
Luis Senarens , proto-science fiction author of the late 1800s.
Virgil Suárez , novelist
Piri Thomas , author (memoir Down These Mean Streets )
Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez , writer (The Dirty Girls Social Club )
Armando Valladares , writer (Against All Hope: A Memoir of Life in Castro's Gulag )
Jim Acosta , CNN's Senior White House Correspondent
Jessica Aguirre , anchor for KNTV NBC Bay Area News, San Francisco, California
Achy Obejas , novelist, journalist
Manny Alvarez , medical correspondent for Fox News Channel
Cathy Areu , founder of Catalina magazine
Liz Balmaseda , columnist, Miami Herald
Bárbara Bermudo , anchor, Primer Impacto
Michelle Caruso-Cabrera , business news general assignment reporter for CNBC television
Myrka Dellanos , former anchor, Primer Impacto
GiGi Diaz , sports reporter, Pompano Park , and journalist in Miami
Lili Estefan , host for Univision
Suzy Exposito , Los Angeles Times music reporter
Lourdes Garcia-Navarro , New York Times podcast host and former journalist for National Public Radio
Max Gomez , medical correspondent for WCBS-TV in New York City
Pedro Gomez , ESPN reporter
Ambrose E. Gonzales , co-founder of The State newspaper in South Carolina and author of several books in Gullah language
Narciso Gener Gonzales , co-founder of The State newspaper in South Carolina
Maria Laria , journalist and presenter
Dan Le Batard , sportswriter for The Miami Herald
Tom Llamas , correspondent for ABC News
Antonio Mora , host on Al Jazeera America
Belkys Nerey , anchor WSVN , Fox in Miami
Jackie Nespral , anchor WTVJ , NBC in Miami
Soledad O'Brien , Al Jazeera America correspondent, independent producer
Mirta Ojito , Pulitzer Prize winner
Rafael Pineda , veteran TV personality, former anchor WXTV in New York City
Eliott Rodriguez , anchor for CBS Miami.[97] [ circular reference ]
Maggie Rodriguez , co-anchor of CBS 's The Early Show
Rick Sanchez , anchor
Kristen Millares Young , investigative journalist
United States ambassadors
Simon Ferro, former United States Ambassador to Panama
United States Cabinet members
United States House of Representatives
Carlos Curbelo , Republican member of the United States House of Representatives , representing Florida's 26th district
Lincoln Díaz-Balart , Republican former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Florida's 21st district
Mario Díaz-Balart , Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Florida's 25th district
Joe Garcia , former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Florida's 26th district
Carlos A. Giménez , Republican member-elect in the 2020 U.S. House of Representatives for Florida's 26th congressional district , former mayor of Miami-Dade County (2011-2020)
Thomas Ponce Gill , Congressman from Hawaii in the early 1960s (his paternal grandmother was Cuban)
Anthony Gonzalez , Republican, Ohio's 16th District (2019–Present)[98]
Joseph Marion Hernández , first Hispanic elected to the United States Congress
Nicole Malliotakis , Republican member-elect of the United States House of Representatives, representing New York's 11th district
Alex Mooney , Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing West Virginia's 2nd district
David Rivera , Republican former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Florida's 25th district
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen , Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Florida's 18th district
Maria Elvira Salazar , Republican member-elect in the 2020 U.S. House of Representatives for Florida's 27th congressional district , former television news anchor
Albio Sires , Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing New Jersey's 13th district
2008 Congressional candidates
Federal government
Al Cardenas , Washington, D.C. lobbyist
Alex Castellanos , Republican media consultant; senior advisor to 2008 Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney
Carlos Del Toro , 78th Secretary of the Navy ; retired Naval Officer and former business owner
Nils J. Diaz , former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Cari M. Dominguez , Chair of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Emilio T. Gonzalez , Ph.D., director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Eliot A. Jardines , first Assistant Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Open Source
Elsa A. Murano , former Undersecretary for Food Safety United States Department of Agriculture
Steve Pieczenik , former deputy assistant secretary of state
Otto Reich , former Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs
Mauricio J. Tamargo , 14th chairman of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission
Local government
Carlos Alvarez , former mayor of Miami-Dade County
Angelo Castillo , first Hispanic mayor of Pembroke Pines, Florida
Joe Carollo , former mayor of Miami
Manny Diaz , mayor of Miami
George Gascón , district attorney of Los Angeles County ; former district attorney of San Francisco County
Carlos A. Giménez , 7th Mayor of Miami-Dade County
Rosario Kennedy , former commissioner and vice-mayor of Miami
Raul L. Martinez , former mayor of Hialeah
Carlos Mayans , former mayor of Wichita, Kansas
Gilda Oliveros , first Cuban-born woman mayor in the United States
Alex Penelas , former mayor (D – FL ), Miami-Dade County, Florida
Tomas Regalado , former mayor of Miami
Julio Robaina , former mayor of City of Hialeah
Francis Suarez , mayor of Miami
Xavier Suarez , former mayor of Miami
Silverio Vega , former mayor of West New York , New Jersey
Bill Vidal , former mayor of Denver, Colorado ; born in Camagüey , Cuba [99]
State government
Zulima Farber , former Attorney General of New Jersey
Anitere Flores , Florida State Senator and former Florida State Representative, first Republican Hispanic woman to serve in both the Florida House and Senate since 1986
Bob Martinez , former governor of Florida , first Cuban-American governor in United States history
Robert E. Martinez , 8th Virginia Secretary of Transportation and deputy administrator of the United States Maritime Administration
Joseph Miró , Delaware state representative, president National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators
Alex X. Mooney , member of the Maryland state senate representing District 3
Vincent Prieto , New Jersey State Assemblyman, 32nd District
Marco Rubio , U.S. senator from Florida, and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
Katherine Fernandez Rundle , State Attorney for Miami-Dade County
Yvanna Cancela , state senator representing Nevada's 10th District
Mo Denis , state senator representing Nevada's 2nd District
Jason Miyares , member of the Virginia House of Delegates ' 82nd district and Attorney General of Virginia
Wes Moore , 63rd governor of Maryland [100]
U.S. Commonwealth government
Judiciary
Armando Omar Bonilla , former Department of Justice official and nominee to the United States Court of Federal Claims [101]
Barbara Lagoa , Justice on the Florida Supreme Court
Cecilia Altonaga , United States District Court Judge
Danny Boggs , Chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati
Raoul G. Cantero, III , first Hispanic justice on the Florida Supreme Court
Adalberto Jordan , United States District Court Judge
Jorge Labarga , Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court
Jose L. Linares , United States District Court Judge of United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark, New Jersey
Ariel A. Rodriguez , judge of New Jersey Appellate Division, acting Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court
Joseph H. Rodriguez , United States District Court Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in Camden, New Jersey
Eduardo Robreno , United States District Court Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia
Esther Salas , United States District Court Judge of United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark, New Jersey
Mauricio J. Tamargo , Chairman of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission
Adolfo Fernández Cavada , captain in the Union Army during the American Civil War who later served as Commander-in-Chief of the Cinco Villas during Cuba's Ten Year War
Federico Fernández Cavada , colonel in the Union Army during the American Civil War and later Commander-in-Chief of all the Cuban forces during Cuba's Ten Year War
Mercedes O. Cubria , lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army; first Cuban-born female officer in the US Army[102]
Julius Peter Garesché , lieutenant colonel in the Union Army who served as Chief of Staff, with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel to Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans
Ambrosio José Gonzales , colonel in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War
Erneido Oliva , major general ; former deputy commander of the D.C. National Guard
Félix Rodríguez , U.S. Army helicopter pilot, former CIA officer known for his involvement in the Bay of Pigs Invasion and his involvement in the capture and interrogation of Che Guevara
Lola Sánchez , Confederate spy during the American Civil War; played an instrumental role in the Confederate victory in the Battle of Horse Landing[102]
José Agustín Quintero , Cuban born Confederate diplomat to Mexico, based in Monterrey
Loreta Janeta Velazquez (1842 – c. 1902), aka Lieutenant Harry Buford, Cuban-born woman who claimed that she masqueraded as a male Confederate soldier during the American Civil War
Aida de Acosta , first female to fly a powered aircraft
Aristides Agramonte , physician, pathologist and bacteriologist
Luis Walter Alvarez , Nobel Prize-winning experimental physicist (his paternal grandfather immigrated from Spain to Cuba and then to the United States)
Serena M. Auñón , American physician, engineer, and NASA astronaut
Agustin Walfredo Castellanos , physician
Nils J. Diaz , former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Luis Echegoyen , famous Cuban-born chemist
Isabel Pérez Farfante , carcinologist[103]
Carlos Juan Finlay (1833–1915), Cuban physician and scientist recognized as a pioneer in yellow fever research
Maria Oliva-Hemker , Cuban-born American paediatrician
Tony Silva , Cuban-born American aviculturist and ornithologist who has written many books and articles about parrots.
Albert Siu , internist and geriatrician at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City
Mercedes de Acosta , socialite, author, best known for her affairs with Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich
Rita de Acosta Lydig , socialite
Jose Ramon Diaz Alejandro , painter
Edel Alvarez Galban , painter and medical doctor
Henry Ballate , visual artist
Jose Bedia , visual artist
Cundo Bermúdez , painter
Adriano Buergo , painter
José Bernal , artist
Juana Borrero
Fernando Bujones , ballet dancer
Consuelo Castañeda , visual artist
Ana Albertina Delgado Álvarez , visual artist
Antonia Eiriz , painter
George Gomez , industrial designer, designer of video games, toys and pinball machines
Diana Guerrero-Maciá , visual artist
F. Lennox Campello , contemporary visual artist, art critic, writer
Manuel Carbonell (1918–2011), one of the last of the Cuban master sculptors; lived and died in Florida
Jose Manuel Carreño , award-winning ballet dancer, American Ballet Theatre
Humberto Castro , painter
Migdia Chinea , awarded film director/screenwriter/producer; member of the TV Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Rafael Consuegra , sculptor and painter
Emilio Cruz (1938–2004), American artist of African and Cuban descent; his work is held in several major museums in the United States[104]
Alberto Cutié , priest and television host, EWTN , and a daily talk show on Telemundo Network
Emilio Falero , artist
Alina Fernández , radio personality, daughter and critic of Fidel Castro
Teresita Fernández , artist
Lourdes Gomez Franca , artist and poet
Coco Fusco , artist and writer
Agustin Gainza , artist
Ric Garcia , painter and printmaker
Juan Gonzalez , painter
Félix González-Torres , artist
Jose Acosta Hernandez , artist
Pedro Hernandez , sculptor
Nestor Hernández , photographer
Dinorah de Jesús Rodriguez , experimental filmmaker
Emilio Hector Rodriguez , contemporary visual artist, abstraction, painter, photographer
Miguel Jorge , painter
Josignacio , abstract artist
Guerra de la Paz , Cuban-born American artist duo Alain Guerra and Neraldo de la Paz , who work in sculpture , installation and photography
Ana Mendieta , performance artist, feminist
Maria Teresa Mestre , wife of Luxembourg's constitutional monarch Grand Duke Henri ; her title is Grand Duchess
Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos , woman at the center of the Carl Tanzler case
José María Mijares , painter
Adriano Nicot , painter
Javier Peres , contemporary art dealer
Dionisio Perkins , painter
Henry Pollack , radio host of "Havana Rock"
Miguel Rodez , artist, curator
Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada , artist
Rocío Rodríguez , painter[105]
Emilio Sánchez , contemporary art painter and lithographer
Scull twins , painters and sculptors
Baruj Salinas , Abstract Expressionist painter
Rafael Soriano
Mario Torroella , artist and architect
Pedro Vizcaíno
Consuelo Yznaga , wife of George Montagu, 8th Duke of Manchester [106]
Wifredo Lam
Juanita Castro , sister of former Cuban Communist Party first secretary Fidel Castro and incumbent First Secretary Raúl Castro ; has lived in the United States since 1964 and is a naturalized citizen
Michelle Font , beauty queen who won Miss Washington USA and competed in the Miss USA pageant on April 11, 2008, at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada; of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent
Joaquín "Jack" García , retired FBI agent who infiltrated the Gambino crime family
X González , activist and advocate for gun control ; survivor of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
Vida Guerra , Cuban born-American glamour model
Carlos Maza , born to Cuban immigrant parents; political activist
Emilio Núñez (1855–1922), soldier, dentist, and politician
Ana María Polo , Cuban-born American lawyer and Hispanic television arbitrator on Caso Cerrado
Manny Puig , Cuban-born wildlife entertainer
Enrique Ros (1924–2013), Cuban-born businessman and activist opposed to Cuban president Fidel Castro
Andrea Louise Simon , community leader
Alfred-Maurice de Zayas , Cuban-born lawyer; writer; historian; expert in the field of human rights and international law; retired high-ranking United Nations official; peace activist; since 2012 the United Nations Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order (also known as Special Rapporteur), appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council
Jose Battle , Cuban-born refugee who was a police officer during the Batista regime . He was the founder and head of an organized crime syndicate known as the corporation, also referred to as the "Cuban Mafia". Battle controlled bolita rackets within the Cuban-American community.
Moisés Silva , (born September 4, 1945), Cuban-born American biblical scholar and translator. A past president of the Evangelical Theological Society (1997), Silva for many years had been an ordained minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church .
Paul Crespo , is a conservative political commentator, consultant and activist. A former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, he has had a varied military and civilian career, and gained notoriety for his strong political opinions. He is best known for his conservative and free market views and passion for the constitutional and founding principles of the United States of America.